Eating Tomatoes: Benefits and Taboos for the Human Body

February 19, 2024

Tomatoes, also known as tomatoes, are an essential delicacy on the dining table. They can be made into tomato and egg noodles, tomato and egg stir-fry, and so on. However, there is a group of people who cannot eat this delicious food. Who are they? Let's find out together with the editor.


Eating Tomatoes: What are the Benefits for the Human Body

Eating tomatoes before a meal can help with weight loss. The lycopene in tomatoes can reduce calorie intake, reduce fat accumulation, and supplement various vitamins to maintain a balanced and nutritious body.

Tomatoes contain dietary fiber that is not digested and absorbed by the body. While reducing the consumption of rice and high-calorie dishes, it prevents the body from absorbing excessive fat from food. The unique acidity of tomatoes can stimulate the secretion of gastric juice, promote gastrointestinal motility, and help the dietary fiber in tomatoes adsorb excess fat and waste in the intestines for excretion. For people with a cold constitution or weak stomach and intestines, heated tomatoes or tomato juice can be chosen.

Who Should Not Eat Tomatoes

People who have or are prone to gout should be careful when eating tomatoes.

According to a survey and experiment conducted by the Department of Biochemistry in New Zealand, among 2051 gout patients, they reported that foods that caused their gout attacks included seafood (62.5%), alcohol (47.1%), red meat (35.2%), and tomatoes (20.2%). Surprisingly, tomatoes ranked fourth.

Researchers then conducted clinical trials and found that the intake of tomatoes is positively correlated with blood uric acid levels, making it indeed one of the "gout foods."


However, vegetables are generally low-purine foods, so why can tomatoes trigger gout? Although tomatoes have a low purine content, they contain a lot of glutamate, which provides nitrogen as raw material for purine synthesis, easily increasing the synthesis of uric acid in the body. The phenolic acid it contains can also inhibit the excretion of uric acid by the kidneys, leading to an increase in uric acid and the onset of gout.

Six Taboos of Eating Tomatoes

1. Do not eat on an empty stomach

Tomatoes contain a large amount of soluble astringents and other ingredients, which react with gastric acid to form insoluble lumps, easily causing symptoms such as bloating and pain in the stomach and intestines.

2. Do not eat unripe tomatoes

Green tomatoes contain solanine (solanine), which can cause a bitter and astringent taste in the mouth when consumed, and in severe cases, poisoning.

3. Do not eat together with cucumbers

Cucumbers contain an enzyme that decomposes vitamin C, which can destroy vitamin C in other vegetables. Tomatoes are rich in vitamin C. If the two are eaten together, the effect of supplementing nutrients will not be achieved.

4. Do not eat after prolonged heating and cooking

Prolonged heating and cooking will cause the loss of original nutrients and flavors.

5. Do not consume when taking Neophene or Glandamine

Share

Everyone Is Watching

icon

Hot Picks